Healthy Families Steuben

The Healthy Families Steuben offers in-home parent coaching to new and expectant parents, providing support, education and information on a variety of topics including:

Health and Development

Infant Care

Positive Parent/Child Relationships and Appropriate Discipline

Family Nutrition

Home Safety

Everyday Problem Solving

Connecting to Doctors and Other Services

Healthy Families Steuben is funded through a grant by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, along with the United Way of the Southern Tier. Catholic Charities of Steuben and the Institute for Human Services collaborate to provide this program locally.

Impact

Healthy Families promotes optimal health practices as demonstrated by the following results.

100% of children were connected to a medical provider.

99% of primary parents were connected to a medical provider.

93% of children were up to date with recommended immunizations at 1 year of age.

100% were assessed for the risk of lead exposure.

57% of families entered the program prenatally. It has been demonstrated that there is a 48% reduction in low birth weight deliveries among women enrolled in Healthy Families before the 31st week of pregnancy. Additionally, there is a cost savings, for each $1,000 spent by Healthy Families to serve a family during pregnancy, 100% of the cost is completely recovered before the child’s birth due to the reduction in low weight births (low birth weights often bring serious health complications).

At age 2, mothers participating in Healthy Families home visits were more likely to endorse appropriate limit setting strategies with their child.

At age 3, mothers participating in Healthy Families home visits were more likely to use parenting strategies that stimulated the child’s cognitive skills while demonstrating increased sensitivity to the child’s needs and cues.

At age 7, mothers participating in Healthy Families home visits were more likely to use non-violent discipline.

Healthy Families helps to enhance family self-sufficiency.

77% of families were employed, or enrolled in an educational or job training program by the time their child was one year of age.

Healthy Families promotes success in school.

50% of Healthy Families children are less likely to repeat first grade.

70% are more likely to score above grade level in first grade on three specific behaviors that promote learning.